Amabel Vaughan.*

" What larks we used to have to be sure ; leap-frog over the beds , bolsterinn matches , and all sorts of fun , —and sometimes a free fight . Of course , Fitz snd I Avere soon banished there . Old Mother Stoddart used to creep up the stairs like an old cat Avith a little black cane in her hand , and if she found anybody out of bed , she used to let into them , rather ; didn't she , Fitz ?" " Yes" the latter answered" ancl Avhat do you think that fellow Mark used to do ?

, , Ke AA'as a pious rogue and no mistake . If the old Avoman came up rather suddenl y and caught him out of bed— which he mostly was for the first hour or two after we were sent to roost—he used to drop on his knees and say his prayers , or pretend to , —and sometimes I have noticed him unusually devout for at lest ten minutes or a quarter of

an hour , during which the old nurse would remain up , eyeing him suspiciously but Mark knew Avhat he was about and remained in an attitude of devotion until her patience Avas exhausted , and she would go down stairs AA'ith a grunt of dissatisfaction , for she daren ' t hit him then , and she clearl y loved to leather the boys . " " It is to he regretted that youths should be such dissemblers , " Miss Griss observed ; " but I suppose conscience makes cowards of us all . " Mabel smiled at her cousin ' s story and remarked :

" Your stories about that other old nurse amused us very much last night . " " Oh yes , but she was in London you know , a regular Mrs . Malaprop and Mrs . Partington rolled into one . Awfully fond of using long words she was . One day she caught too little boys fighting in the cloisters;—she daren ' t have tackled big fellowsso she takes them off by the ' scruff of their necks , ' as she would say , down to the steAvard .

" ' Sir , ' she said , ' as I Avas a passing through the quadrangle , I saw these tv ? o combatantes a combatanting ; and if it hadn ' t have been for my contraficiating I don't know Avhat would have been the insequences . ' " Mabel laughed at the oddness of the old Avoman's speech ; and Miss Griss said : " It is sad that the boys should fight so much . What Avas done with them 1 " " Oh ! well generally when a fight Avas got up , each boy had his second , and they

proceeded with the few AVIIO Avere in the secret , to some secluded spot , the extreme end of the Hall cloisters or near the Buttery . I had an awful fight once , Avithin one of the back toAver entrances to the Hall , just out of the Infirmary yard . It Avas Avith my best friend , too , a Scotchman ; and I remember I thought he didn ' t fight fair , for he held his head clown ancl pummelled me to my heart ' s content , and finally blacked both of my eyes to that extent that I Avas laid up at the Infirmary for days . Somebody came

between us , I suppose , because Ave were such dear friends , —ancl Ave were never the same again . " To prevent interruption from the beadle or others , scouts Avere posted outside ahvays to give the alarm ; so we were very rarely caught , and fights Avere of daily occurrence . Sometimes , however , a beadle Avould suddenly pounce in upon us , collar the delinquents and take them off to the steward , whose office is under the Writing School , and close to the beautiful swimming bath they have lately added for the boys ' use .

" Well , then , they were caned , ancl had to stand all day , Avhen they were out of school , side by side against the Avail , instead of playing with the other boys . It Avas a good plan , and they generally became fast friends afterwards . " " Did you like Hertford as Avell as London 1 " Mabel asked Mark with interest . " Yes , I think I did on the Avhole , the out of school life at all events . The steward Avas kind and consideratethough sometimesof coursehe had to be severe . The nurses

, , , were most of them nice motherly Avomen ( ours Avas an exception ) . We had a nice field to play in in summer , as Avell as the School playground , and they Avere very kind to the little boys in the Infirmary if they were really ill . But the school life was a species of terrorism I shall never forget . " Under Mr . B . ( mentioning the name to Mabel of the under master in the Grammar School ) , it was worse than being in prison . His cruelty know no bounds